NAC completes OPTIMUS-L shipment

The packaging was used to safely transport low-level radioactive waste from a US nuclear research facility to a radioactive waste facility for disposal, the company said.

OPTIMUS-L is designed to be easy to maintain and operate, according to NAC. It facilitates the cost-effective disposal of a wide variety of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive materials, enabling research reactors and other nuclear research facilities to reduce risk and liabilities by disposing of accumulated wastes being stored on-site and freeing up needed workspace to support their primary science and technology missions, the company said.

"These systems were designed to optimise versatility and cost-effectiveness for transporting a wide range of waste with fissile material contents, making them an ideal solution to transport the broad variety of waste forms generated by research facilities," NAC Vice President of Transportation and Strategic Projects Mike McMahon said.

NAC developed its OPTIMUS - for Optimal Modular Universal Shipping - cask technology to be easily expanded and optimised for multiple types of nuclear materials. It offers two variants of the packaging: OPTIMUS-H is designed for high-activity contents such as remote-handled transuranic waste and used nuclear fuel, while OPTIMUS-L is designed for low-activity contents such as contact-handled transuranic waste and mixed low-level radioactive waste.